Garhwali Lok Mantra: Useful Book for Preserving Garhwali Culture

(Garhwali Tantra and Mantra, Mantra and Tantra of Kumaun, Mnatra and Tantra of Uttarakhand, Himalayan and Nepalis Tantra and Mantra)

Bhishma Kukreti

There is a misconception that Mantra or Tantra started from Vedic era through creation of Vedas. In fact, the human being started singing Mantra from the time human beings got consciousness of autosuggestion. There have been Mantra in local languages all over world and Veda creators refined them through Vedic Sanskrit and wrote script on Bhojpatra or so. Even today, each human being sing or utter Mantra may be created by himself.

The record states that in Garhwal, Mantra creation and singing them or uttering them were popular in Khas , Kinnar, Kanaiti, Kaintura culture. The Ghantakarn temple and Ghantakarn worshipping is the proof.

After sixth century, the Nathpanthis popularized Braj language Mantra in Garhwal, Kumaun and Nepal and this is the reasons that till date, most of these Mantras are in Braj language. There may be exception in few cases.

Credit also goes to Abodh Bandhu Bahuguna for initiating collection, compilation and publication of Mantras of Garhwal. Bahuguna compiled a few Mantras in Dhunyal (1956) and then Gad Matyeki Ganga and Kaunli Kiran too.

Dr Shiva Nand Nautiyal, Keshav Anuragi published a couple of Mantras of Garhwal in their folk literature analysis .

Dr Dinesh Chandra Baluni published Matras of Garhwal in his book ‘Uttarakhand ki Lok Gathayen’

Dr Krihna Nand Joshi published many Mantras of Kumaun in his well read book ‘ Kumaun ka Lok Sahitya’